Savage Repose
by MidnightWritings
Summary: Villainy, treachery, bravery, and Tobi! Sequel to Stupid Geniuses
1. Prologue 1

Savage Repose Prologue 1

Tobi

"Ow!" Tobi screams in Tobi's head. Tobi forgot how much it hurts to look at the sun. The sun was still in the sky, though. Tobi remembers seeing the sun right before he got hit in the head. Tobi-san must not have been here long. Tobi was knocked out, though. Maybe Tobi slept through the night. Itachi-san's kunai did hit Tobi in the side of the head pretty hard. Itachi-san must not have been able to stop Itachi-san's kunai. Itachi-san would never purposefully hit Tobi. Tobi's head still hurts 'cause of the knock-out hit, though. Tobi guesses that Tobi's head hurting is better than dying.

Nobody's really hurt, Akatsuki are good at not getting hurt. There are some cuts and bruises, but Tobi doesn't think that anything vital is broken. Kisame-san is sitting next to Itachi-san. Kisame-san has a big cut from one shoulder to the other across his back that's bleeding and Itachi-san has a broken hand, looks like a couple knuckles mostly. Hidan-san and Kakuzu-san are next to Kisame-san. Hidan-san's hand is chopped off and Kakuzu-san is sewing it back on while Hidan-san complains. Kakuzu-san has a black eye. Zetsu-san, who's standing in the back of the group, has a big chunk missing out of the plant around his head. Deidara-san is sitting over next to Itachi-san and has some of his hair chopped off, along with a cut near his neck. Everyone is sitting around, not doing anything. Itachi-san stands up, and lets out a commanding "Ahem."

"Group up," Itachi-san says sharply and Tobi stumbles over while everyone else comes over, nursing their wounds a bit. "Who saw where he went?" Itachi-san breathes angrily. Six hands fly into the air. Two point north, two point south, one points east. And Tobi's is raised into the air like a flag, waving back and forth impatiently.

"We don't have time for this. Put your hand down if you're guessing," Itachi-san demands to the group. The group is motionless except for Tobi, who has started jumping up and down. Itachi-san sighs as he gives up. "Zetsu and Deidara, you're headed off that way," Itachi-san says, pointing along with their hands. "Hidan and Kakuzu, that way. Kisame, you're with me. We're headed over there," Itachi-san says, indicating the direction with a tilt of the head. (Tobi's Good Boy Note: Zetsu-san and Deidara-sempai went north, Hidan-san and Kakuzu-san went south, and Itachi-san and Kisame-san were going to go west.)

"Try to follow him. He took us all on long enough to get away, and he's taken out a pair of Akatsuki members before," Itachi-san says, leaving a moment for mourning and emphasis. "Keep your wits about you. He will kill you if he gets the chance. Follow him and find out what he's planning to do. Under no circumstance are you to confront him. Understood?" Itachi-san says, watching every head except for Tobi's nod.

"We meet back at the base at sunrise. If anyone is missing, we will come and find you. If you're not injured, we'll make sure to fix that," Itachi-san says, hoping no one sees through his blank threat. "Now, head out your directions and stay with your partner. Remember, no engaging the enemy. Head out, and keep your wits wi-"

"Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Itachi-san! Itachi-sannnn!" Tobi wails out above Itachi-san's parting words.

"Tobi, I'll talk to you in a second," Itachi-san says, his voice filled with agitation.

"Okay," Tobi says as he sits down in mid-air and falls to the ground cross-legged. "As I was saying, keep your wits about you. Remember, sunrise," Itachi-san says as the two other pairs head off.

"What about Tobi?" Tobi asks, looking anxious through Tobi's mask. Itachi-san turns towards Tobi sternly, his eyes filled with sudden anger. Itachi-san gets within arms-reach of Tobi and stops. Itachi-san closes his eyes for a second before taking a deep breath and saying very quietly and calmly

"Tobi, I have a very important mission for you."

"...You do?" Tobi asks childishly.

"Oh yes. This might be the most important mission of all," Itachi-san nearly whispers as a small grin slides across his face


	2. Prologue 2

Savage Repose Prologue 2

_Kenshori_

Lips pressed together in a firm line of (seemingly permanent) annoyance, my superior stares up at me. Everything about him seems to radiate disappointment and abhorrence, even though he's a couple inches shorter than I am. I don't know why my superior hates me so much. He's 21 and already the head of the ANBU Black Ops, an impressive feat for anyone. Besides that, he's married and has a kid on the way. All the women of the village were disappointed when he got married. Like an older Uchiha, he's got the black hair and the brooding face sans the Sharingan. He's young and successful too.

I'm pushing 30, a less impressive feat but still mildly impressive. The average age of retirement for a ninja is 25; most are killed in battle before then. I'll be lucky if I find a significant other before I die. Sure, I'm not that bad looking... Although the scar on my left cheek doesn't help out much. Most people don't really see my face though. Most people aren't even tall enough to get a good look at my face. I'm somewhere above 6 feet tall, I haven't bothered to check for quite a while. And even the few that match me in height have their views blocked by my hair. I usually let it just go free, forming into corkscrew curls. Girls usually like that. It's down to my shoulders, but I've been thinking about trimming it to get it out of my face. I've been told on more than one occasion that I have big brown "puppy dog" eyes. My light brown skin compliments them really well, from what I've been told. Not that you can see much of it, It's usually covered in my usually outfit. I'm usually in a plain purple shirt and a pair of loose black pants. I keep a purple mask on to cover my mouth and my glasses to cover my eyes. And, luckily, being a ninja has really done good things for my body. I've beefed up quite a bit since I was younger. I'm pretty old for a ninja, I know, but I've sworn to myself that I'll keep working as an ANBU until the day I die. Which, for all I know, may be very soon.

"Tell me what happened," He says crisply, restarting his pacing in front of me. My legs ache and I wish I could sit down but that would never go over well with him. He's really pretty sadistic when it comes down to it. I pause and wipe some sweat off my forehead to buy myself a little time. I just ran from the battle grounds to his office. That's farther than I want to think about. I'm exhausted. My shoulders sag a tiny bit. He notices, stops pacing, and shoots me a sharp look. "Out with it."

I square my shoulders before answering him, trying my hardest not to tear his head off. "Sir, I engaged in battle with the Akatsuki, sir," I say in a steady tone, hating that I have to call someone almost ten years my junior "sir."

"And?" He snarls.

"In order to keep my own life, sir, I had to flee the scene. I did gain valuable information about their fighting styles and weaknesses, though…sir," I tense when I see the look on his face. He's not happy, to say the least. His eye twitches and a vein in his forehead pulses.

"Did you do _any_thing while you were with them?" He asks, obviously not pleased with my work.

"I managed to take the girl's arm off, sir." I say straightening a little. An arm off, especially if I managed to make it the lead arm, is nothing to sneeze at. An arm taken off can take a perfectly good ninja out of the field. I've seen it happen too many times to think about.

He sighs. "At least you're not completely useless. I'll have to get someone to babysit you on your mission. We'll see if we can find someone that's not past their prime." I almost slouch but catch myself, and nod. The obvious jab at my age wasn't a new thing. Though I guess some might call it praise. I like to think so. I killed two Akatsuki a couple years ago, but I guess stuff like that doesn't roll over.


	3. Prologue 3

Savage Repose Prologue 3

_Kumori_

Thoughts are flying through my head. I don't know what to think but one thought in particular stands out. They killed Tobi. I can't let them live that down. I'll never forgive them for what they did. They killed Tobi... No, he killed Tobi. Itachi… I shake my head in an attempt to clear it and look up as I step out of the car.

"This way," Hebi purrs and turns. The cab is stopped on a corner of a pretty run-down street near some woods and he walks away. He continues to walk until he disappears in a flash. My gut is screaming at me that this guy is bad news and I don't want to follow him. I can't follow him. But if I don't follow him, how could I ever live with myself? I find myself walking towards the flash as I yell at myself to stop. I reach the entrance and stop. Tobi wouldn't want me to get hurt. He wouldn't want me to get myself hurt or even killed. No, I can't go. My fist clenches and I look down. No… I have to do this. Taking hesitant steps, I find there's a portal right about where Hebi disappeared.

"I'm doing this for you, Tobi," I say to myself and duck my head, going through the portal. It's the familiar feeling of ice water pouring over me that sends goose bumps down my body. My heart starts pounding and I strain to see in the sudden darkness. Darkness everywhere. I force my eyes open wide and start to turn my head, attempting to find light. Nothing. Only darkness. "I knew I shouldn't have followed him," I say, resigning to the permanent abyss.

"Ah, there's that light switch," I hear a soft voice say as the abyss falls victim to a single light bulb. I'm in a room square room, kinda small. No windows, one door, one light switch, and a light bulb. "My office is right this way, my dear," Hebi says and I shiver, nodding and following him, glad to be able to see again. He leads me through the door, into a very minimalist room, motioning for me to take a seat across from him. He has a solid oak desk with a tall-backed black chair behind it. "Where's your cat?" I ask as I plop down into the only other chair in the room, a plain black chair with very little cushioning. He looks at me quizzically before just dismissing my question. "The evil geniuses never do have time to watch movies," I mumble under my breath.

"As I've said, Kumori-chan, I know that I can help you."

"How do you know my name? What am I doing here? Why are you holding me here?" He chuckles and blinks slowly, seeming like he doesn't have a care in the world.

"You need to rest, my dear girl, all your questions will be answered in time." He says slowly, a slight smirk on his face. "Kabuto will show you around a little and lead you to your room. Rest, train, do whatever it is you need to do to recover. You've had a very trying day, haven't you?" My eyes start to well up with tears and I put my hands in my lap, nodding. He comes out from behind his desk, his movements oddly snake-like and fluid. Hebi puts his hands on my shoulders and bends down so that he can whisper in my ear.

"Once you're recovered, I will give you the means to get the revenge you so dearly want. You can kill whoever you want, whatever you want. Won't it feel good, to avenge your dear friend?" His breath is cool and makes me shiver as I'm reminded of my goal. Itachi. "I'm going to kill him," I think to myself as I nod. Revenge would feel good. I could wipe that superior smirk right off Itachi's face. That sounds like a plan. And a good one at that.

"How long am I gonna be held here? What do you want from me? This can't be free." I say and he just laughs, not seeming to hear me as he walks away.


	4. Chapter 1

Savage Repose Ch 1

**Hey guys… Sorry for the long time without an update… High school is really making me its bitch. Thankfully, finals week starts Monday and then I'll have all of break to write! YAY WRITING!**

Hebi smirks and seems to know that I've already agreed. "Kabuto," He says and a guy with silver hair and huge glasses is there. He can't be much older than me. What's he doing with Hebi? Better question, how did he get here? I look around, and there's not even a door to be seen in this room.

"Yes, my lord?" He bows slightly and I can see a malicious glint in his eyes. A shiver runs down my spine as I see his eyes slide to the side, to look at me. They dart down, then up, then back to Hebi. His lips twitch a little at the corners as if he's trying hard to stifle a laugh.

"Show our…guest back to her room. Make sure she knows where important things are, alright?" Hebi smirks and stands up, seeming to glide back to his desk. He gracefully sits down and Kabuto nods. The snake-like man crosses one leg over the other and rests his elbows on top of the higher leg, his fingers interlaced. He raises one eyebrow slightly and Kabuto nods, like he was waiting for him to give him permission.

"Yes, my lord." His steely gaze turns to me and he seems to peer into my soul. "Let's go," He turns without even looking to see if I'll follow him.

"Where are we going?" I ask, looking around to point out the lack of doors. He chuckles and continues walking straight at the wall across from Hebi.

"Just follow me," he says with slight irritation. I do, of course, being the good girl that I am. That, and the fact that he scares me less than Hebi does. He walks straight into the wall without the slightest hesitation. I follow him, making sure to go exactly where he went. I flinch as my nose should be making contact with the solid concrete wall, but I find myself looking down a hall instead.

"What was that?" I ask, obviously showing how new I am to this.

"Make note of the turns we're taking. This place is built like a labyrinth to throw off intruders." He says without turning. I have to strain my ears in order to make sense of what he said.

"Okay," I say cautiously, unsure of how to address him. Kabuto seems to hear the doubt in my voice and looks over at me.

"Call me Kabuto-san," He says.

"You know, when Hebi said Kabuto, I was kinda expecting a rock-bug thing...," I trail off, and he turns at me, sizing me up for a second before turning around. He walks a little and then stops in front of one of the seemingly infinite doors.

"This door will only open for you once you've opened it for the first time, to help evade unwanted intruders." I put my hand on the door knob and an electric current jolts through me suddenly. A small yelp escapes me but I can't pull my hand away. "Open it," He says patiently, like he's talking to a small child or someone stupid. The knob twists in my hand easily and swings open to show a room with a bed and a kitchen, not much else. "Food and ingredients will be supplied as necessary. If you have any requests, leave a note." He turns on his heels and walks away, leaving me alone in my dimly lit room.

…line…line…line…line…

I've been with Hebi for almost a week and I'm itching to get back to work on my revenge. I've recovered enough I guess, but what I feel like I need to do is avenge Tobi's death. I've been training hard and today Hebi sent word that he had a test for me.

After gulping down breakfast, I run to the training field, knowing that he would be waiting. He holds a small bell on a string out for me to see then attaches it to the purple rope thing around his waist. I can see it clearly from where I'm standing.

"If you can get this bell from me, that will prove that you are ready to get revenge and I will supply you with whatever you'll need," He says and crosses his arms, seeming to just be waiting for me.

I wipe my hands off on my sides, preparing my launch. I crouch down, eyes staring straight ahead, and launch off right at where Hebi's waist is. Err, was. By the time I reach where he was, he's already where I was, chuckling to himself. Staring back at him in disbelief, I forget to stop myself as I slam my head into the wall. This only makes Hebi laugh harder. I plop onto the floor in a pile, focusing hard to not move, to not breathe. I hear his tentative footsteps encroaching, one after the other. He gets closer and closer to me. He reaches down to place two fingers on my neck, attempting to check my pulse, as I desperately clutch at his waist, praying that even if my aim is off, I'm not going to get a handful of awkward instead. I sit up, my fist clutched, unsure of whether or not I truly did get it. I turn my hand over and flatten my palm, allowing gravity to have it's turn. The bell jingles onto the floor, bouncing slightly.

Surprise crosses Hebi's face as I stick my tongue out a little, the bell laying out in front of me.

"Got it~" I grin and throw it up in the air, catching it again. A small amount of blood drips down my forehead and I'm panting a little but I'm so proud of myself I can barely stand it. There's only a slight gash on my forehead, but there's a crater in his wall. Finally, my hard head helped me out.

"You did well, my dear girl," He says with a slight smirk, not even caring. This makes me angry, since the blood is turning into a stream. He always seems so superior. I shake the feeling off, and smirk back at him.

"I think I'm ready," I say confidently, my chest still heaving a little. He gives a slight shrug.

"You could have done better but that will do," I anime fall

"That will do? I did great!" I know I'm whining but I really did try my best. And I really did well, especially against him. He gives me a stony look and I sigh, composing myself. "How are we going to do this?"

"We aren't going to do anything," He says giving me a wide smirk

"I'm supposed to take him on alone?" I shriek, automatically starting to freak out.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone," He says then starts to laugh maniacally.


	5. Chapter 2

Savage Repose Ch 2

Orders were to scavenge the woods. But after almost three days of searching, each group came back empty handed. Coming back slowly, the groups slowly trickle in and go back to lick their wounds. Itachi calls for a meeting in the main room.

"Did anyone find any trace of him?" Itachi's eyes glide over his group, looking for any sign that they saw anything. Not one meets his eyes.

"Nothing," Kakuzu growls, his eyes narrowed. "We're wasting time and money searching for him. It's useless anyway. It's like he disappeared into thin air,"

"Poof!" Kisame says, hands outlining a pretend explosion. The entire group stares, and Kisame quickly asks "Where's the girl?" The entire group seems to realize collectively that they hadn't seen their captive.

"She was with Tobi before," Itachi says looking around, his Sharingan on.

"Tobi made brownies!" Tobi interrupts, that having been his "very important" mission.

"Tobi, where's-" Kisame starts to say but Tobi takes the opportunity to shove a brownie in his mouth. The fish man looks mildly annoyed but chews and lumbers into the kitchen to get a glass of milk.

"Tobi, where's-" Tobi starts to shove a brownie into Itachi's open mouth but stops when he sees him glare. "Tobi, if you move that brownie one inch I will hack your hand off with a rusty spoon,"

"I like rusty spoons," Hidan murmurs, stroking one with his index finger.

Tobi falls back dramatically and KO appears above his head in bright red letters.

"She's not in the kitchen," Kisame says with a nearly empty glass of milk in his hand and a milk moustache on his upper lip as if he's on a "Got Milk?" poster. His tongue darts across the top, effectively getting it off as Tobi stands back up, done with his dramatic fall.

"She who?" Tobi asks brushing some invisible dirt off his Akatsuki cloak.

"Kumori, you boob," Itachi says narrowing his eyes at the boy man person. Everyone else except Tobi laughs, and Itachi's glare instantly brings the idea of a rusty spoon into everyone's mind. The entire group falls silent, except for Hidan, enjoying the image of the rusty spoon more than boobs. Go figure.

"Oh! Tobi knows where Kumori-chan is!" He says with a huge grin behind his mask.

"Where?" Itachi asks, quickly getting tired of beating around the bush.

"Not here!" Tobi's grin grows wider. Somewhere in the distance, a crow "kuh-kaw!"s.

"Then where is she?" Kisame frowns slightly.

"You're cold~" Tobi says in a sing-songy voice.

"Tobi, I'm not going to play this game with you," Itachi says and starts to walk away.

"You're getting warmer~"

The entire group gets involved, running around and getting told hotter and colder by Tobi, never quite consistent on where is hot and where is cold.

"Enough!" Itachi says, fed up with this game of cat and mouse.

"Now red light, green light!" Kisame yells. Itachi gives him stare so hard he falls to his knees.

"Tobi, where is Kumori?" Itachi demands.

"Tobi left Kumori-chan in Kumori-chan's world when Tobi came to help!" Tobi says seeming quite pleased with himself.

"Go. Get. Her." Itachi growls and Tobi nods, scampering off quickly.


	6. Chapter 3

Savage Repose Ch 3

I almost feel like laughing when I see who my superior has paired me with. "You have _got _to be kidding me," I mumble, shaking my head. Standing in front of me is Konohamaru, the most annoying teenager in Konoha. He's grown a lot since I saw him last but the prankster is well known around the village. Ever since Naruto grew and started taking missions seriously, he's had little time for the petty pranks he used to love to pull so much. Konohamaru looks me in the eyes, having to look up a little but not as much as most people have to. His hair is falling in his face but he gives it a sharp shake to get it out of his eyes before he speaks, making him seem angry.

"If you think I'm excited about working with an old man, you really must empty." He says rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in a way that screams teenage angst. My temper flares and I have to bite my lip to keep it intact. My superior is staring me down. Konohamaru quirks one eyebrow a little higher when he sees me struggling. A shit-eating grin crosses his face and I can tell from the way his shoulders are tensed he's trying not to laugh.

"What did you just call me?" I snarl as my temper flares. I already hate this kid. I want to strangle him when I see that his grin grows just the slightest bit wider. He's enjoying this way too much. My superior excuses himself briefly when the phone rings and he takes it into the hall, leaving us alone. I turn to the desk and get a glass of water, raising it to my lips as he speaks again.

"Wow, you really _are_ old." He says laughing and shaking his head like I'm such a pity.

"I could break you right now if I wanted." I whip around and dramatically point at him. The water glass in my hand groans as I squeeze it, a crack shooting up the side. I put it down gingerly, not wanting to make my superior even angrier than he already is.

"Don't move so fast, your arthritis might flare up." He sneers, snickering at my expense. He picks up another glass and pours himself some water as well, seeming to have no trouble with keeping his temper where it is. He's having more fun bothering me than anything.

"Haven't you ever heard of respecting your elders?" I retort, leering at the kid.

"You must not have to worry about that too often, huh Grandpa?" He laughs more, popping a piece of gum in his mouth and smacking on it obnoxiously. I want to slap that stupid little grin off his face so badly it hurts. My fists are shaking at my sides. I do NOT need this right now.

"You wanna take this outside?" I say, not noticing my superior behind me, glaring down at me.

"Really, Kenshori? You've stooped to threatening teenagers? You're disgusting. Get out of my sight. Your mission starts now." He snarls and we scurry out of his office like cockroaches when someone turns on the light suddenly. I can hear him growling into the phone as we go down the stairs and exit the building.

"Way to get put in your place by a guy _half_ your age," Konohamaru says with another superior grin, loving the fact that I got chewed out.

"Shut up you, daft little punk." I say cuffing him on the back of the head as I walk past him. He gives me an odd look then makes robot-like movements.

"Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail upgrade it." He says, his voice sounding robotic as he rotates in place and slowly starts walking forward. He's making a total ass of himself, as usual.

"…What?" He sighs and shakes his head slowly, dropping the movements and walking like a normal human being.

"You're so old…" He murmurs

"Go get your stuff and meet me back here in 30 minutes. We're leaving to go find the Akatsuki," I snap, kicking him in the ass as he goes. Konohamaru gives me a death glare but does go, rubbing his kicked rear the entire way and cursing my name under his breath. Waiting until I'm sure the little punk is gone, I turn towards my house. My hands are shoved into my pockets as I walk, the wind chilling me to the bone.

There's something eerie about it. I try not to think too much as I pack. It's still a little hard to think that she's gone. Bits of Kumori are everywhere. I can smell her on my pillows and see her hair in my hairbrush. Call it creepy, but I see her everywhere I am. Time doesn't seem to matter as I sit down on my bed and pull a pillow close, wrapping my arms around it. I rest my forehead on the top and sigh, breathing in her scent.


	7. Chapter 4

Savage Repose Ch 4

"I'm getting a team?" Kabuto looks at me like I'm stupid. To my defense, it's about six. In the morning. My brain doesn't even turn on until ten, at the earliest. I guess it's important to tell me, but they couldn't have waited until I woke up at a reasonable time? What he's saying to me isn't even sticking in my head. It's just going in one ear and out the other. Maybe I'll be able to-

"I just said that." He says, pulling me from my thoughts, annoyed at repeating himself. Twice. He leans up against the frame of my door, crossing his arms, seeming to be waiting for something. I look back at him, cross my arms, and lean up against the wall. Well, I try to, but I miss and stumble a little. He puts his right foot's toes next to his left arch and quirks an eyebrow at me. "You really should get dressed," Kabuto says, with a little bit of a smirk crossing his face. My face turns bright red as I sputter out an excuse. "Hebi-sama wants to talk to you." The blood quickly drains from my face as I rush to get changed. I can't keep Hebi-sama waiting. 

"It's early; I haven't had time to get beautiful yet." I whine, pushing my hand into my hair. I have bed head. I can feel the grease sliding across my fingertips. Oh yeah, I haven't showered yet today. And I'm wearing jammies. Can't forget that I haven't put any makeup on yet. Why am I out here yet? Better yet, why am I up yet? I should still be sleeping for several more-

"You wouldn't be beautiful if you had all the time in the world," he says, pulling me from my thoughts again. The lack of emotion in his voice slams into me like a metaphysical punch to the gut. He walks out of the room without so much as a falter or glance backwards. I groan and flop back on my bed. After a sigh, huff, and several mumbled swears, I pull together my will and begin the hardest battle I've ever fought. The monster that goes by the name of sleep. The monster's tentacles reach up and start to drag me into the sweet underworld of dreams. My mind drifts off into the realm of wonders as I start to see Tobi waiting for me at the corner.

I walk up to him and start to give him a hug. My arms reach around him as his eyes look down on me with fear. I try to understand what's happening as he pushes me to the floor. I look up to him, hurt, but I don't find him standing there anymore. I see Itachi, looking down at me with pure hatred. I franticly search for Tobi. I don't see anything until I look down and see a lump of cloth on the ground. Before I can check if it's Tobi, I see Itachi start to throw a kunai at me.

I jump out of the way and prepare for a battle. I glance around me and can't find anyone. Instincts tell me to move, and I just barely escape a downward thrust from Itachi. He dives straight for my chest before I can get my bearing. My heart stops beating. The world slows down. I freeze as I watch Itachi close in on me. I close my eyes just as the tip of his kunai touches my chest. It's gone before I notice. I open my eyes and find Kenshori standing over a large pile of cloth, kunai dripping with blood. I slowly walk over, my eyes never faltering from the pile of cloth. I get down on my knees, slowly flipping the over the cloth.

My dad's eyes stare back at me. I dig more and find my mom's blank stare looking back at me. I feel Kenshori's hand on my shoulder. I spin, my kunai swinging with rage. My arm barely moves before it's stopped. I look up in awe, and find Hebi-sama staring back at me. "Now issss not the time," he slithers into my ear. "Come with me, Kumori, and I shall train you to avenge your parentsssss." I stand up, dropping my kunai and nodding to Hebi-sama. Hebi-sama takes my hand and leads me through a portal he's kept open. He practically has to drag me there as my body is numb. I count back on the battle and realize everyone I have lost. I remember something I didn't account for.

Tobi. I look back just as Hebi-sama drags me through the portal, and see a small movement in the pile of clothing laying on the ground. I break free from Hebi-sama's grasp and run over to it. I get down to my knees, and begin to unfold the cloth. Tobi's laying on the ground. I slowly place my head against his chest to listen for his heartbeat. I hear moving water. Rushing water. I pull back and look into Tobi's face. I find Hebi-sama staring back at me. He smiles as he whispers "Now issssss not the time."

It's not hard to fumble out of my jammies and into the shower. What is hard, on the other hand, is not screaming when a face appears in my steamed-up shower glass.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEYAHG!" Out of reflex, I pull away from the mirror. The shower is slippery and wet.

"HI!" The face appears over the top of the shower and I struggle to waft steam over my body.

"GET OUT!" I chuck a mini-bar of soap at the face and she squeals, falling. "GET OUT UNTIL I'M DRESSED!"

"OKAY!" The girl shrieks back and skips out of the room. Grouchily, I pull a towel around myself and step out of the shower, patting the counter next to me for my glasses. I shove them onto my face, the glasses magnifying my eyes as I grab the first things I see. Without thinking, I shove my legs into my pants and pull the long-sleeve shirt on. I slap the door knob and the girl comes tumbling in backwards.

"Why are you in my room? How did you get in here?" I say, sounding very no-nonsense.

"Kabuto let me in!" She says eagerly, bouncing like an excited puppy. "I'm Tsuki, and I'm your new team mate!"

"Oh yeah…" I put my finger just bellow my bottom lip, pressing it into my teeth. "Only one? I thought we had teams of three,"

"My brother, Taiyou, is waiting with Hebi-sama," Tsuki says dutifully. She looks at me with large eyes, as if waiting for me to say something.

"Oh! Uh… Good job?" I manage awkwardly.

"THANKS!" She screeches. I swear to god I got the most cracked-up subordinate ever. She's a pretty brunette, though. Her tan goes well with her hair, and she looks strong. She's about the same height as me, so I won't have to worry about wearing heels around her. Can't let my subordinate look down on me, especially literally.

"Where's Taiyou?" Her eyes get huge with excitement. She starts hopping from one foot to the other, almost like she's doing a potty-dance.

"They're" hop "waiting" hop "outside!" hop. I really hope she's not like this all the time…

"Where outside?" Suddenly, tired hits me like a ton of bricks. The tanned-girl pauses in her hopping for a second, looking thoughtful.

"They're…outside in the courtyard, waiting!" She scrunches her nose in concentration, her eyes shut. "And Hebi-sama said not to dawdle!" I pale a little. 

"When did he say that?"

"Half an hour ago!" She beams at me. I narrow my eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You were too busy being naked!"

…line…line…line…line…

"You're late, Kumori-chan," Hebi-sama purrs, suddenly in my ear when I get out into the courtyard. I squeal, almost falling over in my eagerness to get away from the snake man. "I asked you not to be late."

"S-Sorry," I pant, putting a hand over my racing heart. The guy version of Tsuki, Taiyou I'd guess if I had to put money on it, glares me down from a few feet away.

…Yeah, he's that tall.

Every pore of his being oozes "don't-like-you." Hebi-sama chuckles, gently grasping his elbow and pulling him towards me, over there now.

_HOW THE HELL CAN HE DO THAT?_ Inner Kumori pulls at her hair, somehow getting it to stretch down to her waist without falling out. _I WANNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT!_ I ignore her as the boy gets closer to me. He visibly tenses, but training makes him unable to resist the tug of his-our master.

"Ku-mo-ri-chan~" Hebi-sama says when I'm close enough to reach out and slap Taiyou. "This is Taiyou, your other teammate. I'm sure you two will…get along. Swimmingly." His green eyes narrow down at me and he ignores my outstretched hand. "You will respect her." My lord appends, a slimy smile spreading across his face.

"Nice to meet you," Taiyou says, his voice barely over a growl. He squeezes my hand when we shake hands with much more force than necessary. I add a little chakra to my own squeeze, showing him that two can play this game.

"My thoughts exactly," I say tensely, not liking this at all.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone! It's Sydney! As you can see, I haven't written anything in a long time, and I have to say that I'm really really really sorry. The last two years have been a bit crazy. I've really been wanting to write more lately, and I've finally had a little time on my hands. College takes a lot out of you _ I'm going to start by rewriting Tutoring for Dummies and then take on other tasks, see what lends itself to being rewritten. Thank you all for your continued support! I'm hoping to have the first chapter up in the next few days :D

Lots of love,

Sydney


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